Date: 6 November 1993 Times Guardian 6 November
1993 Opposition: West Ham United British Soccer Wk
Competition: League
West Ham revert to same old story Liverpool flattered by their ascent Liverpool 2 - West Ham 0. IT IS impossible to take Liverpool's rise into fifth place totally seriously. There SOME things never change, at least superficially. The late Bill Shankly would have remains no plausible pattern to their play, and it was not altogether clear when felt at home at Anfield on Saturday as West Ham fulfilled their traditional role as the Kop chanted 'Who the ******* hell are you?' whether they were referring to entertaining losers. the opposition or their own team. ``It's always a good game, and we win,'' Shankly said when describing West Ham Goals by Clough, who, according to Souness, had an 'outstanding game', but to as Liverpool's favourite visitors. It is now 30 years since West Ham last won at most others continues to display all the enthusiasm of a duck in the desert, and Anfield. Matteo masked another shoddy, disjointed Liverpool performance. But behind the familiarity, there were signs that things are changing at West Ham Souness hopes that in a fortnight he will have several senior players available under Billy Bonds. They now have a commanding goalkeeper, who comes out and again for selection and that 'I will have a problem of picking a team rather than catches crosses in heavy traffic, and defenders who tackle as if they mean it, led the team picking itself'. Pick and mix may have worked at Ibrox; these days by David Burrows, whose reception from the Kop suggested that Julian Dicks will Anfield cries out for continuity. Meanwhile both he and England have lost Jones find replacing him in the supporters' affections a difficult task. with cartilage trouble: the full-back was operated on yesterday. For the first hour it looked as if West Ham had arrived without reading the script. There was a telling moment in the first half when Ruddock, moving the ball out of In the past visitors have been heard wishing that they had brought their own ball defence, looked up only to find the whole of the Liverpool midfield of Clough, with them after hardly getting a kick all afternoon. Now it Stewart, Redknapp, and Matteo totally static. looked as if the game was being played with West Ham's ball and they were not Marsh and, in particular, Burrows were given a warm and genuine welcome back allowing the home side a kick. by the Kop, with Marsh missing a wonderful opportunity to put West Ham ahead ``We said beforehand that against West Ham we'd have to work hard to get the in the fourth minute. A little later Grobbelaar made an excellent save from ball back, and because our crowd are used to seeing us having a lot of the ball at Holmes, as Bishop threatened midfield mayhem. West Ham were dominant. Anfield they might get frustrated,'' Graeme Souness said afterwards. They did, the But somehow their inability to score always seemed likely to cost them the match buzz of discontent growing as the first half progressed. and extend their lack of success here beyond 30 years. Yet early in the second half Much of it was directed at the hapless Paul Stewart, who does not look like a it seemed they must take the lead when a shuddering error by Ruddock saw Liverpool midfield player. When an intended pass to Harkness went into touch ten Bishop release Chapman, whose cross fell directly to the unmarked Morley. Call it yards behind the full back, one supporter was driven to despair. ``Stewart, I'd a slip, call it a stumble: Morley missed. sooner have Bjornebye than you,'' he shouted witheringly. So it was that both Clough and Matteo struck on the rebound to produce a Liverpool's cause was not helped by the loss of the unlucky Jones with a cartilage scoreline of the utmost deception. Nevertheless Liverpool, albeit including home injury, which is likely to keep him out for six weeks. He will miss England's World matches against Fulham, Oldham and Southampton, have assembled a run of six Cup qualifying match against San Marino on November 17. matches without defeat. West Ham were positive, full of fluent passing and purposeful movement. But Now they face Newcastle, Norwich, and Sheffield Wednesday away, with home Grobbelaar was in outstanding form, producing one breathtaking save to deny matches against Villa, Wimbledon and QPR. Only by mid-December will it be Holmes as West Ham swept through his defence. possible to assess properly Souness's optimism: 'In the second half we stepped up The old West Ham is still there, however, and they failed to turn their superiority a gear.' When you are in reverse this is not difficult. into goals, notably when Morley slipped as he went to meet Chapman's cross with SCORERS: Liverpool: Clough (68min), Matteo (83). the goal gaping in front of him just before the hour. Liverpool: Grobbelaar; Jones (Redknapp, 20), Nicol (Bjornebye, 86), Wright, Ten minutes later Clough, who had been growing in influence as the pace Clough, Stewart, Rush, Matteo, Harkness, Fowler, Ruddock. declined, rifled the ball past Miklosko, and the old storyline had survived yet West Ham United: Miklosko; Breacker, Burrows, Potts, Martin, Holmes, Butler, another episode. To rub in the point, Matteo claimed his first goal after Miklosko Bishop, Morley, Chapman, Marsh. had brilliantly parried his first effort. Burrows succeeded only in turning the ball Referee: K Barratt (Coventry) into the roof of the net. ``There's only one David Burrows,'' the Kop repeated, this time teasingly, but Burrows may have the last laugh. Liverpool are 14-1 for the FA Carling Premiership title and this win takes them up to fifth, but on this form Burrows is captain of the only Liverpool team likely to win anything the team in the quarter- finals of Go For Goal, Granada's answer to A Question of Sport. LIVERPOOL (4-4-2): B Grobbelaar R Jones (sub: J Redknapp, 19min), M Wright, N Ruddock, D Harkness S Nicol (sub: S Bjornebye, 86), N Clough, P Stewart, D Matteo I Rush, R Fowler. WEST HAM UNITED (4-4-2): L Miklosko T Breacker, A Martin, S Potts, D Burrows M Marsh, P Butler, I Bishop, M Holmes L Chapman, T Morley. Referee: K Barratt.
Compiled by Graeme Riley
Date: 6 November 1993 Times Guardian 6 November
1993 Opposition: West Ham United British Soccer Wk
Competition: League
BRITISH SOCCER WEEKLY Clough comes back to boost Reds Nigel Clough broke West Ham's hearts after regaining his place in another Graeme Souness re-think at Anfield.
The 2.275 million pound midfielder - a substitute for the last two matches - celebrated his recall with the 68th minute goal that ended West Ham's stranglehold on an entertaining clash. Clough was expected to feature in the England squad manager Graham Taylor announced on Monday for the World Cup clash with San Marino.
But there were doubts about the availability of full-back Rob Jones, stretchered off to hospital after 18 minutes with a knee injury.
West Ham played the brighter more inventive football for an hour when at times Bruce Grobbelaar stood alone between them and their first Anfield win for 30 years.
Grobbelaar was at his best to deny Matthew Holmes twice and Lee Chapman twice - yet produced his almost customary blunder. He dribbled out of his penalty area after 28 minutes and passed the ball neatly to Trevor Morley. The West Ham striker elected to follow Pele's example by shooting for the empty goal although Chapman was better positioned and the ball bounced wide.
Clough's finishing was more clinical when his opportunity arrived after 68 minutes.
Dominic Matteo jinked in from the left and released the ball for Clough whose instant shot was blocked. But the ball rebounded obligingly for him to slam it beyond the despairing grasp of Ludek Miklosko.
Liverpool, boosted by the goal, at last began to dominate and Matteo himself added a second goal eight minutes from the end in bizarre circumstances.
Again it was down to a snooker-style cannon. Matteo's first shot bounded off Miklosko's body, hit him on the shins and rebounded back into the goal.
Former Anfield favourites David Burrows and Mike Marsh received a magnificent reception from the Liverpool fans and both came close to scoring as West Ham seized the early initiative.
But as chance after chance went begging, Liverpool gained in confidence and eventually secured a win which extends their unbeaten run to seven matches and keeps them in hot pursuit of the Premiership pacemakers.
Manager Graeme Souness believes it could be up to six weeks before Jones is fit.
Said Souness: "Rob's knee locked up and our physiotherapist and doctor feel it is a cartilage. It could be three weeks or six weeks - we won't know until he's had the operation."
Liverpool's revival coincided with the appearance of Jamie Redknapp as a substitute for Jones. Redknapp's father, Harry, the West Ham assistant manager, admitted: "It was the first time I have seen Jamie in action against my own team and it was a bit difficult. They seemed to improve when he came on. We played ever so well and I was very disappointed we didn't get something out of it."
Compiled by Graeme Riley